Desktop Turf War36:08

Copy the code below to embed the WBUR audio player on your site

Google CEO Eric Schmidt says it's not an epic, winner-take-all battle. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said last week that keyword search, the cornerstone of the booming Google empire, is not the only way to find what you need when it comes to information.

But if you want to understand the future of information — and the trillions made in finding and using it — the battle between Google and Microsoft for dominance of that future is a good place to start.

Microsoft made its fortune with shrink-wrapped software. Google owns the web- based search and service model. Now, the two are colliding.